Cameyo to Keep Performance?

[systemcrash]

I recently heard of the program cameyo http://www.cameyo.com/ that allows you to make any program into a portable program to take around with you.

This got me thinking. If i used cameyo to make all the programs on my computer into a Non-install portable version and moved to a externall HD, Then completely wiped my computer to do a fresh install. All of my programs that i would normally install i would just copy from my external HD or keep them there and make shortcuts in the start menu to them. Except the obvious ones like anti-virus and firewall which i would want installed and to run on startup

Would this in theory keep my computer super fast since it doesnt have the program registrys or install files to lag it down or even become fragmented?

Before i decide to do this i wanted to check if its a good idea or just completly foolish

[Ritho]

I would spend some time using cameyo-ed programs before starting to rely on them like that. But in theory it would work.

In another thread here where cameyo was mentioned I mentioned using the Altiris product that used to be called Software Virtualization Solution or Altiris SVS. Altiris has since been bought by Symatec and the product has been renamed Symantec Workspace Virtualization (SWV)

I used SVS in the way you are proposing to use cameyo. Almost everything would install just fine in it with no trouble. You could export the virtualized programs and import them later if you reinstalled windows. All registry entries, special program services, etc. where captured in the install layer and kept the base system running clean and free. It totally prevented registry rot and other problems associated with installing and uninstalling programs. So no your idea is not silly and is totally possible, since big corporations use program virtualization all the time.

I would recommend this product over cameyo simply because it has been developed for years and is a very stable commercial product that was offered free for personal use.

If you are running xp and maybe vista you can still get SVS personal license for free from symantec here. http://www.altiris.com/Download/svsPersonal.aspx

I have heard that it is possible to get a free license of the new product from Symantec as well, but they make it hard to find. You can start on its trail here if you are interested. http://aka-community.symantec.com/co...-21-and-swv-61

If decide to go this route and you do manage to find how to get a free personal license for SWV let us know.

[Sope]

Here's a forum thread at www.portablefreeware.com you may also be interested in reading (if you haven't already seen it).

[systemcrash]

Ritho: thanks for the infor glad someone else has already gave this a go.

Just to clarify something though, when you have made a certain program portable then a update is released would you have to install the program so either cameyo or SVS could watch it install and make the new update program portable? Then would have to remove the program and the registry entries it made or not install the updates and use a out dated program.
Did you find this a problem? I'm still tempted to give this a try

[Ritho]

Just to clarify something though, when you have made a certain program portable then a update is released would you have to install the program so either Cameyo or SVS could watch it install and make the new update program portable?

SVS made it simple because there was a layer update mode. I should mention each SVS virtualized program actually has two layers, one is writable and the other is normally read only. The program installs and updates are captured in the read only layer. All changes afterwards are caught in the second writable layer. This makes it possible to reset the program itself to a freshly installed state. I appreciated this ability with one program especially that I always had trouble with the tool bars getting scrambled. It would normally take me 15 min to get them just the way I wanted, but if you accidentally clicked and drug the mouse wrong a bug caused all those changes to go away. So after I started using SVS I would install that program and set the read-only layer to update make the changes to the tool bar, then lock the layer. After that if my tool bars went buggy I reset the layer and 30 seconds later I was right back to work.

Another cool thing about SVS is that you can choose to have all files that a program creates captured in either its own writable layer, in another totally separate layer, or on the base system. SVS can run filters on any file extension to put those files where you want. You can set global excludes for any file type or hard drive location. It is quite powerful.

I only reason I stopped using SVS was because I moved to Linux as my main work platform, and while I do dual boot I don't have the demands on my Windows system like I used to.

[Ritho]

Here are a few videos about SVS that will explain it all faster and better than me. The first one is a hilarious commercial that Altiris created to advertise their product.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtH8ZxSKsBg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xm4AY...eature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNqTGITYiNI

[Pilgrim]

Symantec Workspace Virtualization SWV 6.2.1562.
There is a later version but it has problems and the download has been withdrawn by Symantec.

To download:

Go to THIS website.

Click on: Infrastructure Operations.

Go down to: Workspace Virtualization.

Click on: Trialware.

You then need to follow the instructions, agree to the EULA, register an account.

Details do not need to be your own but all necessary sections must be filled.

When you get to the download page click on the top download, 28MB.

According to Symantec this software is free for personal use to everybody.

You get an evaluation License Key with the download, which again according to Symantec is without limit for personal use.

Although I have not tried it the free SVS license key which is available on the Symantec site may also work as SWV is considered as an upgrade to SVS 2.1 which is still available, also free for personal use.

[Ritho]

Nice work Pilgrim. Thanks.

[eyeb]

I've been using JauntePE to make programs portable for years to keep computer clean. Lifehacker mentioned before benefits of portable apps before, lost article though.

I like it because Jaunte can keep system/registry clean, and it sandboxes programs incase something happens, it doesnt affect rest of computer

Plus if i reformat I can drag files back and start where I left off without reinstalling/fixing settings

[systemcrash]

Well im definatly goin to give it a go, The only problem i have now is that i got freeware from giveawayoftheday and it wont let me re activate them if i try to install them again. guess il have to keep them installed or loose them..